Dictionary
Thesaurus
Medical
Scrabble®
Spanish Central
Browse DictionaryBrowse Thesaurus
Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android
Games
Word of the Day
Video
Blog: Words at Play
My Faves
Dictionary

societal

adjective so·ci·e·tal \sə-ˈsī-ə-təl\

: of or relating to society

Full Definition of SOCIETAL

:  of or relating to society :  social <societal forces>
— so·ci·e·tal·ly \-təl-ē\ adverb
See societal defined for English-language learners
ADVERTISEMENT

First Known Use of SOCIETAL

1898

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

Rhymes with SOCIETAL

parietal, varietal

Learn More About SOCIETAL

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: societaryPrevious Word in the Dictionary: sociétaireAll Words Near: societal
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Charming Words for Nasty People
Put-downs with flair
Learn More
When "Literally" isn't, well, literal
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Watch Now
Know what this is?
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Go Play
Fear of cats?
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears
Learn More
Join Us
Merriam-Webster
on Facebook
Merriam-Webster
on Twitter
Bookstore: Digital and Print
Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.
See All
Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries